A MODERN DRAGON HUNT ON KOMODO
and no large ones came down to my bait,
though several watched all day at what
they considered a safe distance.
Every 'now and then I could spy a big
head raised out of the long grass, and once
or twice a dragon would come crawling
down almost into the cleared space which
I had carefully prepared for photography.
But always at the last minute they would
lose courage and make off to cover before I
could get a satisfactory picture.
However, the second day things were
different. The goat carcass, by this time
so nauseous to me, acted as a charm for
them. The small dragons became fearless
and seldom was the carcass without one
gnawing at it. The big dragons, throwing
all caution to the winds, rushed down with
surprising agility and speed, tearing and
dragging large pieces of the meat away
from the carcass to be eaten at leisure out
of sight in the long grass.
That dragon lizards have a keen sense of
smell I had ample occasion to observe. In
the valley where I watched them the wind
was continually changing, and they used to
pick up my scent at once even when they
had their heads to leeward of the over
powering stench of the carrion. In an in
stant all of them would take fright and
disappear.
All the time I kept myself carefully hid
den from their sight, but, as other observers
had reported that these lizards are stone
deaf, I did not trouble to keep quiet.
UNDISTURBED BY A SHOTGUN'S ROAR
In fact, wishing to test this theory of
deafness, I discharged a shotgun over their
heads at a range of a dozen yards on more
than one occasion. Neither this nor the
rattling of plateholders nor the human
voice seemed to make any impression on
them, whereas they would notice any move
ment in an instant and make off.
That they are deaf to some sounds
seems beyond dispute, but it is interesting
to note that the specimens at the zoo very
definitely hear the sound of the key turn
ing in the lock of their cage. When the
keeper goes to feed them, their attention is
immediately arrested by this sound.
The baby dragons were highly inquisi
tive. One, measuring about three to four
feet, came through my covering hedge of
branches and sat staring at me at an arm's
length for some time. Another climbed a
tree close by and, stretching itself along
a branch, lay watching me for many hours.
Dragon lizards appear to make no sound
other than a low hissing at each other when
in competition for the meat spoils. When
drawn to a carcass by the powerful odor,
they seem to be almost licking their lips
in anticipation, owing to their curious habit
of shooting in and out their long forked
tongues.
REPTILES NEVER VENTURED TO ATTACK
In their wild state they are said to be
dangerous, but I cannot support this state
ment. I spent days watching, at close
range, dragons of all sizes up to about
twelve feet in length. I had no protection
other than the small hedge of cut branches
and leaves. At no time did the creatures
show any signs of attacking me.
It is difficult to say how many dragons
I saw, but they are undoubtedly very nu
merous on Komodo. I have a few feet of
cinema showing four large ones on the
carcass at the same time, and many photo
graphs showing three.
We had no opportunity of seeing the
reptiles killing or eating their natural food.
Our only evidence as to their ordinary diet
was obtained when one, which had been
caught in a trap, in its excitement regurgi
tated first the chunks of rotten meat it had
swallowed and then a large unbroken turtle
egg.
Wild pigs and deer are plentiful on
Komodo, and we had no reason to doubt
the report that the dragon lizards catch the
small ones.
The natives would not go near the
haunts of the dragons after dark and
seemed in considerable fear of them even
in daylight.
For the homeward journey we put our
specimens in strong crates with beveled
slats on one face. Unfortunately, our car
penter sought to lighten the lids by in
serting a panel of wire netting.
When the yacht was some days out on
the homeward journey, one of the dragons
burst its way through the netting, and, as
no trace of it was ever found on the ship,
presumably it jumped overboard. The
other two were safely delivered to the
zoo and, in addition, our cameras had cap
tured numerous others that are still free to
partake of their odoriferous banquets on
the hills and beaches of Komodo.